History of the Argentina national football team

Although football in Argentina began to be practised in 1867, the first Argentina national team was formed in 1901, when playing a friendly match against Uruguay. This is the first ever recorded match of Argentina, which has won two FIFA World Cup in 1978 and 1986 and 14 South American championships among other titles.

History

Beginning and first titles

Argentine team before playing Uruguay, in 1902. This is the first photo recorded of a national team.

The first match ever recorded by Argentina was against Uruguay.[1] The game was held in Montevideo on May 16, 1901 and Argentina won 3-2. During the first years of existence, friendly matches were against South American teams only. The reasons varied from the long time that took the trips to another countries by then to the World War I.[2] The line-up for that match was: R. W. Rudd; W. Leslie, A. C. Addecot, A. A. Mack, H. Rattcliff, E. L. Duggan, G. E. Leslie, J. O. Anderson (cap.), S. U. Leonard, Ch. E. Dickinson, G. N. Dickinson. Most of the players called for that match played at Lomas Athletic and Alumni, which were some of the most successful teams of Amateur era in Argentine football.[3] The second match recorded was also facing Uruguay at the same city, with a large victory of Argentina by 6-0.

During its first years of existence the national team played only friendly matches until 1905, when the first edition of Lipton Cup was held. It was a cup organized by both Argentine and Uruguayan Football Associations which last edition was contested in 1992. The first official title won by Argentina was the 1906 Copa Lipton defeating Uruguay 2-0 in Montevideo.[4] That same year Argentina also played the Newton Cup, another competition organized by both associations, obtaining the trophy after defeating Uruguay 2-1 in Buenos Aires.

Argentina would win four consecutive Newton Cup more from 1907 to 1911,[5] and four Lipton Cups from 1906 to 1909. After some Uruguayan victories, Argentina won the 1913, 1915 and 1916 Lipton and 1916 Newton Cup trophies.

In 1916 Argentina contested the first tournament organized by CONMEBOL, the South American Championship (current Copa América) hosted in Buenos Aires and Avellaneda and won by Uruguay. The local host plus Brazil, Chile and Uruguay were the only teams contesting the inaugural competition. During that tournament Argentina played three matches, defeating Chile 6-0 and drawing Brazil and Uruguay, which was the champion by points average. The line-up at the final was: Isola, Díaz, Reyes, Martínez, Olazar, Badaracco, Heissinger, Ohaco, H.Hayes, E.Hayes and Perinetti.[6]

In 1921 Argentina won its first South American Championship.

Argentina won its first Sudamericano in 1921, also held in Buenos Aires. The squad won all the games disputed, defeating Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay totalizing 6 points with no goals received. Notable players of that team were goalkeeper Américo Tesoriere and striker Pedro Calomino. Julio Libonatti was also tournament's top scorer.[7]

The Olympic goal

Onzari's olympic goal against Uruguay in 1924.

In 1924 Argentina played a friendly match against Uruguay at Sportivo Barracas' stadium. When only 15 minutes had been played, winger Cesáreo Onzari made a goal from a corner kick, with no other player touching the ball before scoring. Due to the fact that Uruguay was the Olympic champion, this play was called "Gol Olímpico". This denomination still remains.[8]

That goal was conceded to Argentina because the FIFA had previously regulated goals scored directly from the corner kick, as Onzari did during that match. According to La Nación newspaper, 52.000 fans attended to the game, which was won by Argentina 2-1 although the Uruguayan team left the field with only 4 minutes to play. Argentine players later complained about the toughness of Uruguayan team during the match, while their rivals also complained about the aggressiveness of local spectators, who threw bottles at them at the end of the match.[9]

In 1925 the Sudamericano was hosted by third time in Argentina, and the Albiceleste won its 2nd. title. The team played four matches and remained unbeaten once more, defeating Paraguay and Brazil twice each. A highmark was the 4-1 victory against classic rival Brazil. The top scorer was Manuel Seoane with 6 goals.

Argentina won another consecutive title in 1927 obtaining the South American championship held in Perú. The team made a great campaign finishing unbeaten with 3 wins over 3 played. The national squad achieved a large victory over Bolivia (7-1), then beating Uruguay by 3-2 and the local team by 5-1 in the last match of the tournament. It was the 3rd. South American title for the Argentine national team. Some notable players for the squad were goalkeeper Angel Bossio, defenders Ludovico Bidoglio, Adolfo Zumelzú and Juan Evaristo, midfielder Luis Monti, forwards Pedro Ochoa, Manuel Ferreira, Alfredo Carricaberry and Manuel Seoane.

1928 Summer Olympics

The team that reached the final of the 1928 Summer Olympics.

In 1928 Argentina went to Amsterdam to play the 1928 Summer Olympics, which was the first international tournament played by the national team in its history. The football squad reached the final after thrashing USA 11-2, Belgium 6-3 and Egypt 6-0. On June 13, 1928, Argentina was defeated by Uruguay 2-1 (the first game, played 3 days before, had ended in a 1-1 draw) winning the silver medal. The line-up for the final was: Bossio, Bidoglio, Paternóster, Médice, Monti, Evaristo, Carricaberry, Tarasconi, Ferreira, Perduca, Orsi.

1930 World Cup

The Argentina squad that played the 1930 World Cup match vs. Mexico.

In 1929 Argentina hosted a new edition of the South American championship in 1929, winning its second consecutive title. Argentina finished unbeaten once more, defeating all its rivals in the group: Perú (3-0), Paraguay (4-1) and Uruguay in the last match played in the Estadio Gasómetro of Buenos Aires. Most of players that took part of the team would play for Argentina in the first World Cup organized by FIFA one year later.

Argentina was one of the 13 national teams attending to the inaugural FIFA World Cup hosted by Uruguay. There was no qualification to play the tournament so all the national teams affiliated to FIFA were invited to participate.

Some of the most notable players of the squad were goalkeepers Ángel Bossio and Juan Botasso, defenders Attilio Demaría, Ramón Muttis, Juan Evaristo and Adolfo Zumelzú, midfielders Luis Monti, forwards Natalio Perinetti, Carlos Peucelle, Guillermo Stábile and Francisco Varallo.

In the inaugural match of the World Cup, Argentina defeated France by 1-0. The national team then beat Mexico 6-3 and finished its run on the first stage defeating Chile 3-1. Argentina qualified to the semi-finals where the squad widely beat USA by 6-1. On July 30, Argentina played its first World Cup final against Uruguay, which lost 4-2. Guillermo Stábile was the topscorer of the tournament with 8 goals.

1934-54: A long absence

Argentina played only one game at the next world cup in Italy in 1934. The result would be a 3-2 loss to Sweden, and would not participate in the 1938 world cup in France which would be the last before World War II. Argentina declared its neutral alignment for the most part of it. The first World Cup after the War was the 1950 championship held in Brazil but Argentina did not contest due to a conflict with the Brazilian Association. For the 1954 World Cup hosted by Switzerland, Argentina refused to participate.

In 1951 Argentina played England by the first time, being defeated by 2-1 at Wembley. The second leg was played at Buenos Aires on 14 June 1953, being the first victory of a south-american national team over the English side. Argentina won 3-1 and the match gained a great repercussion in Argentina, and Ernesto Grillo (who scored a goal kicking from the end line) became a legend of football.[10]

From Los Carasucias to the 1958 disaster

Los Carasucias: Corbatta, Maschio, Angelillo, Sívori and Cruz.

Although Argentina did not contest any World Cup from 1934 to 1954, the team won the 1937, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1955 and 1957 South American championships, always coached by Guillermo Stábile.

The 1957 squad is probably the most remembered team of those years because of its skilled players and exquisite style of playing showed on the field. Argentina trashed Colombia (8-2), Ecuador (3-0), Uruguay (4-0), Chile (6-2) and Brazil (3-0). The team was defeated by Peru in the last game but won the tournament due to points average. The attacking line, formed by Oreste Corbatta, Humberto Maschio. Antonio Angelillo, Omar Sívori and Osvaldo Cruz, was widely praised by then, being still remembered by the media and football fans.[11] Maschio was also the topscorer with 9 goals.

They were nicknamed Los Carasucias (The Dirty Faces) in a comparison with the kids that got dirty playing football in the streets, whose playing style of dribbling and nutmegs was recognised as a mark of identity of Argentine football.

Argentina returned to a World Cup competition after 24 years, more precisely to the 1958 hosted by Sweden. The team suffered the absence of Maschio, Angelillo and Sívori (playing in the Italian first division but not called by Stábile for the tournament[12]), who had made outstanding performances in Lima one year before. Although the squad was formed with valued players such as Amadeo Carrizo, Pedro Dellacha, José Ramos Delgado, Oreste Corbatta, Ángel Labruna and José Sanfilippo, the lack of experience facing European squads was evidenced once the tournament finished. Argentina lost to West Germany 3-1 the first game, but defeated Northern Ireland in the second match. Argentina was finally thrashed by Czechoslovakia by 6-1 (one of the worst defeats of a national team in a World Cup) being eliminated from the competition. The poor performance was called "El desastre de Suecia" (The Sweden disaster). Where the national team arrived to Buenos Aires, 10,000 people were expecting in the Ezeiza International Airport to insult them.[13]

Transition

After the Sweden disaster Argentina returned to official competitions in 1959, when winning a new edition of Copa América, its 12th. title. The team thrashed Chile 6-1 at the debut, then beating Bolivia 2-0, Perú and Paraguay (both 3-1), Uruguay 4-1 and finished with an 1-1 against Brazil. Argentina remained unbeaten, winning 5 of 6 played. Some players of that team were Oreste Corbatta, Vladislao Cap, Carlos Griguol, Juan José Pizzuti, Jorge Griffa and Carmelo Simeone. The team was coached by a triumvirate composed by Victorio Spinetto, José Della Torre and José Barreiro, replacing Guillermo Stábile after his 19- years tenure in the national team. Argentina would not win a Copa América until 1991 Copa América, when the team coached by Alfio Basile obtained the trophy in Chile.

In 1959, José Manuel Moreno became Argentina coach, although he did not spend much time with the team. Under his coaching Argentina disputed the Extra Southamerican championship in Ecuador, where the squad defeated Paraguay 4-2, drew local team 1-1 and suffered a large defeat by 5-0 at the hands of Uruguay, although the team achieved a great 4-1 against Brazil with 3 goals by José Sanfilippo (who was the topscorer of the tournament with 6 goals) in the last match. Once the extra tournament finished, Moreno left his place and Guillermo Stábile started its 2nd period as coach of Argentina national team.

In 1960 Argentina won its first (and only to date) Panamerican championship held in San José, Costa Rica, finishing 1st. with 9 points with 4 won over 6 played. That same year the team suffered 3 losses to Brazil: two of them in the Roca Cup and the next in the Atlantic Cup. That was the last match where Argentina was coached by Stábile in his second tenure. He would be replaced by Victorio Spinetto.

In 1961 Argentina started a tour on Europe, playing several matches against local national teams. The squad only achieved one victory against Portugal with 2 losses and 2 draws. After a short period coached by José D'Amico, Juan Carlos Lorenzo took over the team. Argentina made a poor performance at the 1962 FIFA World Cup where was defeated by England (3-1) and eliminated in the first round of the competition.

In the 1963 Copa América, Argentina finished 3rd to the local squad and Brazil although the team achieved important victories over Brazil (3-0), Ecuador and Colombia (4-2 both) but lost to Bolivia and Perú. That same year Argentina was also defeated by Brazil in the Copa Roca by goal average.

Nation's Cup

The team that won the Nations' Cup in 1964.

In 1964 Argentina won the Nations' Cup, a friendly tournament organized by the Brazilian Association to commemorate its 50th. anniversary. Argentina took part of the championalong with the debut of José María Minella as coach, along with the local squad and Portugal. Called by then "a little World Cup", the Nations' Cup is considered "the first great title" won by Argentina.[14] The team remained unbeaten winning all the matches played, with a large 3-0 over Brazil (with Pelé on the field) which is still remembered due to the fine playing showed by Argentina that night.[15] The victory over Brazil was highly praised by the media due to the Brazilian side had not been defeated as local since the 1950 World Cup final.[16]

Argentina also finished the tournament with no goals received. Some players that formed the team were Ameadeo Carrizo, José Ramos Delgado, Carmelo Simeone, Antonio Rattín, Ermindo Onega, Alfredo Rojas and Roberto Telch.

The transition continues: 1965-74

Argentina (still coached by Minella) qualified to the 1966 World Cup which was held by England for the first time. The national squad shared group with Chile, Paraguay and Bolivia. Argentina finished the round unbeaten with 3 matches won and only 2 draws. When the qualifying finished Minella left the team, being replaced by Osvaldo Zubeldía (who only coached for one match) before Juan Carlos Lorenzo took over the squad beginning his second tenure on the national side.

The national side played several friendly matches against Soviet Union, Poland and Italy before tripping to England. Argentina only drew the first 2 games losing the last in Torino.

Antonio Rattín (#10) being sent off by referee Kreitlein in the match against England.

Argentina debuted in the Group 2 of World Cup defeating Spain by 2-1. The next matches were against West Germany (which ended 0-0) and Switzerland (also won by 2-1). Argentina qualified to the quarter-finals where the team was defeated by the host team 1-0. It was a controversial match where midfielder Antonio Rattín was sent off by the German referee Rudolf Kreitlein for "violence of the tongue", despite the referee speaking no Spanish. Rattín was so incensed with the decision, believing the referee to be biased in favour of England, that he initially refused to leave. As a way to show his disgust, he sat on the red carpet which was exclusively for the Queen to walk on. He eventually had to be escorted from the field by two policemen and as a final sign of disgust he wrinkled a British pennant before he was escorted out. This incident, and others surrounding the same game, arguably started the long-lasting rivalry between both national teams - but, on the other hand, allowed for the institution of yellow and red cards into the football practice, a solution devised by FIFA after the spark that set off the incident.

Apart from Rattín, some players that formed the 1966 squad were goalkeepers Antonio Roma and Hugo Gatti, defenders Roberto Perfumo, Silvio Marzolini, José Varacka, midfielders José Pastoriza, Carmelo Simeone, and forwards Ermindo Onega, Luis Artime and Oscar Mas. Despite all of those footballers were notable players in the clubs where they played, Argentina could not reach a final since the 1930 World Cup.

Although Argentina did not make a great performance at England, the players were well received by the crowd in Ezeiza, in part due to the incident with Rattín and the Queen's carpet (Rattín himself told later that he "didn't know where he had sat on".[17]

The next step for the team was the 1967 Copa América hosted by Uruguay. Argentina made a good campaign, winning 5 over 6 matches disputed, being beat only by the host team. Argentina defeated Paraguay (4-1), Bolivia (1-0), Venezuela (5-1) and finished 2nd. to Uruguay. Artime was also the topscorer of the tournament with 5 goals.

During 1967 and 1969 the Football Association named 4 different coaches to the national team: Carmelo Faraone (only coached two matches), Renato Cesarini (who took over for some friendly matches and the Lipton Cup), José M. Minella (whose 2nd tenure only lasted 8 matches), Humberto Maschio (4 matches), and Adolfo Pedernera (4). In those years Argentina played a series of friendly matches with most of South American and a few European teams. Argentina also played a new edition of the Lipton Cup, obtaining it by goal average over Uruguay.

In 1969 Argentina started to play the qualifying to 1970 World Cup under the coaching of Pedernera. This was the first (and only to date) time that Argentina did not qualify for a World Cup in its history. The national squad shared group with Bolivia and Perú losing the first two games played as visitor. Although Argentina won the next game defeating Bolivia 1-0, the 2-2 draw against Perú in the last fixture (played at La Bombonera) allowed the Peruvian squad to be one of the South American representatives in the World Cup, eliminating Argentina. The MVP was striker Osvaldo "Cachito" Ramírez who scored the two goals for his team. Argentine line-up was Cejas; Gallo, Perfumo, Albrecht, Marzolini; Rulli, Brindisi, Pachamé, Marcos; Yazalde, Tarabini.[17][18]

This poor performance that caused the absence of a national representative in the 1970 WC is still regarded as one of Argentina's biggest frustrations in the history of national football teams.[19]

After the frustration of 1969, the Association named Juan José Pizzuti (who had won the Intercontinental Cup with Racing Club three years before) as coach of the national team. Pizzuti was the manager during three years, in which Argentina played several friendly games against South American teams, which included the 1971 Roca Cup title (shared with Brazil). In 1972 Argentina was invited to play the Brazil Independence Cup where the team did not achieve good results, losing to Europeans.

After the Independence Cup Pizzuti was replaced by Omar Sívori, maybe the most notable player of the 1957 Copa América winner, who had previous experience as manager of Rosario Central and Estudiantes de La Plata. Argentina played some friendly matches as preparation for the qualifying, with some interesting results such as a 3-2 over West Germany in Munich.

"The Ghost Team" and 1974 World Cup

The qualifying for the 1974 World Cup began on September 1973, where Argentina shared group with Bolivia and Paraguay. Bolivia used to play its home venues at La Paz, a city placed 4,100 m. above sea level where Argentine players suffered the lack of oxygen and other effects caused by the mountain sickness. To avoid complications, Sívori decide to prepare a team to play in altitude. Following his instructions, Miguel Ignomiriello took many players to Tilcara (a city in Jujuy Province at about 2,500 m above sea level) so they could become acclimatized to altitude. The players were Rubén Glaria, Marcelo Trobbiani, Rubén Galván, Aldo Poy, Oscar Fornari, Ricardo Bochini and Mario Kempes. The rest of the team that flight directly to La Paz wereDaniel Carnevali, Rubén Ayala and Roberto Telch.[20][21]

The plan was effective so Argentina won the match played in La Paz by 1-0, goal scored by Fornari. That team was nicknamed La Selección Fantasma ("The Phantom National Team" in Spanish) due to the lack of organisation existing in the Association by then caused that the media could not get information about the team during its tenure in Tilcara. Year laters Mario Kempes revealed that the players themselves had to organize some friendly matches to get money to buy food because the Association forget about them completely.[22][23]

Roberto Perfumo with Netherlands captain Johan Cruyff before the match that Argentina lost by 4-0 in the 1974 FIFA World Cup.

Argentina won the other games against Bolivia and Paraguay (4-0 and 3-1 respectively, both in Buenos Aires), finally qualifying for the World Cup. The objective was widely accomplished.

After having got a place in the World Cup, Sívori left being replaced by Vladislao Cap. With its new coach on the bench, Argentina played only four matches before the competition, facing European teams. Argentina defeated Romania and France and drew England before suffering a large defeat by Netherlands (with Johan Cruyff) by 4-1.

Once more, Argentina made a poor performance in a World Cup. In the inaugural match the squad was beat by Poland (3-2), achieving then an 1-1 draw to Italy. In the last game of the first round Argentina defeated Haiti by 4-1. Argentina qualified to the second rond of the tournament, where the team lost to Netherlands (4-0), Brazil (2-1), ending with an 1-1 to East Germany. Argentina finished last in the group table and 8th in the general table. Argentina played 6 games at the World Cup, winning only one and being defeated 3 times.

Some of the players that formed part of the team were goalkeepers Daniel Carnevali and Ubaldo Fillol, defenders Roberto Perfumo, Rubén Glaria, Enrique Wolff, midfielders Miguel Ángel Brindisi, Roberto Telch, Carlos Babington, and forwards René Houseman, Mario Kempes, Héctor Yazalde and Aldo Poy.

The Menotti era: Beginning of the greatness

The demise of the team in the World Cup forced Association to make changes in Argentine football. David Bracuto was named President of the Football Association in 1974. He offered César Luis Menotti to be the coach of Argentina. Menotti accepted under his conditions, some of them was that native players under 25 should not be sold to foreign clubs.[24]

Menotti debuted on October 12, 1974, in a friendly match against Spain. Argentina began a long preparation for the 1978 World Cup that would be hosted by the local time for the very first time, playing friendly matches and tournaments. Between 1975 and 1977 the national squad achieved some notable victories over Venezuela (11-1), Mexico (6-0), Soviet Union (1-0 in Kiev), and Poland, Uruguay (4-1 and 3-0). During those years Argentina played a total of 33 matches. 1977 was also the international debut of Diego Maradona, who played for the first time at age 16 against Hungary. The match was held in Buenos Aires with a large victory for Argentina by 5-1.[25]

Argentina also played a new edition of Copa America, where for the first time there was no fixed venue. All matches were played throughout the year in each country. Argentina debuted thrashing Venezuela (by 5-1 as visitor and 11-0 in Buenos Aires) but lost to Brazil the two games played (2-1 and 1-0). Brazil qualified to the next stage and the national team was eliminated.

Argentina host the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 1978, winning the tournament v Netherlands at the final.

In 1978 Argentina began the last part of preparation for the Cup, playing several matches against South American and European teams. Although Maradona was considered one of the best players, Menotti did not include him in the definitive list for the tournament. Some sources state that the Argentine military junta that ruled Argentina by then pushed Menotti to include River Plate's midfielder Norberto Alonso instead of Maradona. Nevertheless, other journalists assert that there were too many offensive midfielders (Alonso, Kempes, Villa, Valencia, Larrosa, and Menotti must form a balanced team.[26]

Team captain Daniel Passarella holding the World Cup trophy.

Argentina finally debuted on 2 June 1978 against Hungary, winning 2-1 (goals by Luque and Bertoni). The second game Argentina defeated France by 2-1 (Passarella and Luque) qualifying for the second stage although the team lost to Italy but 1-0, finishing second in Group A. In the second round Argentina was placed in Group 1 sharing it with Brazil, Poland and Peru. In the first game, Argentina beat Poland 2–0, with both goals from Mario Kempes. Next game was against South American powerhouse Brazil in which the game ended with a 0–0 draw. The last game was against Peru which Argentina easily defeated with a 6–0 win. Argentina was able to edge out Brazil in the group and went onto the finals. Argentina had had to beat Peru by four goals or more to progress. The nature of Argentina's victory, with an accompanying $50 million credit and a substantial grain export to Peru has fueled rumors that the match was fixed.[27]

That large victory over Peru allowed Argentina to play the final. On 25 June 1978 at River Plate's Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina played its second World Cup final, its first since 1930. Mario Kempes gave Argentina a lead in the 38th minute but the Dutch squad was able to respond in the 82nd minute with a goal of its own. The game went to extra time and Mario Kempes once again gave the Argentines a lead and Daniel Bertoni added another goal which sealed the win for Argentina, which became the second South American team to win the World Cup at its home country. Kempes was not only the most notable player of the team but also the topscorer of the tournament with 6 goals.

The line-up for the final game was Ubaldo Fillol, Jorge Olguín, Luis Galván, Daniel Passarella, Alberto Tarantini; Osvaldo Ardiles, Américo Gallego, Mario Kempes; Daniel Bertoni, Luque and Oscar Ortiz. Alonso, Houseman, Valencia and Villa were other players that formed the roster.

After the success of the World Cup, Menotti continued as coach and Argentine played some friendly match as preparation for the 1979 Copa América. Maradona (out of discussion by then) scored his first goal for the Senior team against Scotland in Glasgow, where Argentina won 3-1.[28]

In 1979 Argentina contested a new edition of Copa América. The squad shared group with Brazil and Bolivia, which defeated Argentina (2-1 both). Argentina largely won the 2nd. game to Bolivia (3-0) but drew with Brazil 2-2 the last game being eliminated from the tournament.

The highlight of 1979 was the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship obtained by the under-20 team in Tokyo. The team, also coached by Menotti, won the tournament with Diego Maradona and Ramón Díaz as the leaders and most notable players of the squad. The tournament was also the first official championship played by Maradona in a national team.

Because of Argentina had no qualifiers to the next World Cup (as the last champion), the national team played a series of matches as preparation for the competitions. In 1980 there was no official tournaments so the team toured on Europe and also hosted friendly games in some of the most important cities of Argentina such as Mar del Plata, Córdoba and Mendoza. Argentina played the 1980 Mundialito a competition hosted by Uruguay in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first World Cup tournament, where the team defeated West Germany and drew with Brazil being eliminated in the first stage.

Demise in 1982: the end of an era and the beginning of the Maradona era

Argentina players leaving the field after being eliminated by Brazil at the 1982 FIFA World Cup.

In 1982 the Argentine squad went to Spain to play in the 1982 World Cup while the country was fighting the Guerra de Malvinas, after the invasion of the islands had been ordered by president Leopoldo Galtieri on April 2.

The lineup was based on the 1978 team with the addition of Diego Maradona (who had won a domestic title playing at a high level) and Ramón Díaz. The squad arrived in Spain as a big favourite to win the Cup. Argentina debuted with a 1-0 loss to Belgium at the massive Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona. There were internal tensions within the camp between the older and younger players, and this caused problems. Nevertheless, the team recovered by defeating Hungary (4-1) and El Salvador (2-0) therefore qualifying for the next stage. In the second round, Argentina shared a group with Italy and Brazil, being defeated by both (3-1 and 2-1) and eliminated from the championship. Maradona could not show his skills during the tournament, suffering from the rough play of rivals (especially Claudio Gentile in the game against Italy). He would eventually be sent off by the referee after kicking Brazilian player Joao Batista in the groin.[29][30]

Other players that formed the squad were Juan Barbas, Gabriel Calderón (from the 1979 Youth champion), Patricio Hernández, Julio Olarticoechea, Enzo Trossero and Jorge Valdano.

The failure at the World Cup caused Menotti to leave his post. Despite the poor performances, the national team achieved two World titles (Senior and Youth) during the 9 years with Menotti as coach. That was the first time that Argentina planned and carried out long-term work with clear and serious objectives.[31][32]

Carlos Bilardo era: the road to Mexico

To replace Menotti, the Football Association choose Carlos Bilardo, who had won the 1982 Metropolitano with Estudiantes de La Plata. Bilardo was famous for his perfectionism and obsession with tactic and strategy of the game, which called the attention as much as followers as critics. The Bilardo era began on May 1983 with a 2-2 draw with Chile in Santiago. Soon after Argentina played the 1983 Copa América, the first official tournament with Bilardo. The squad was eliminated on first round with 3 draws (2 with Ecuador and a 0-0 with Brazil), winning its only match 1-0 to Brazil in Buenos Aires.

The team was formed by footballers playing in domestic Argentine Primera División exclusively, being some of them goalkeepers Ubaldo Fillol and Nery Pumpido, defenders Néstor Clausen, José Luis Brown, Enzo Trossero, Julio Olarticoechea and Roberto Mouzo; midfielders Claudio Marangoni, Jorge Burruchaga, Alejandro Sabella and José Daniel Ponce; forwards Ricardo Gareca, Alberto Márcico.

After the Copa América, Argentina travelled to Calcuta to play the Nehru Cup, then playing a series of friendly matches before the qualifiers to 1986 World Cup in Mexico. The team made a successful tour on Europe where it won the 3 matches disputed, including a 3-1 against West Germany in Düsseldorf. On May 1985 Argentina played its first qualifying match against Venezuela, winning 3-2. Argentina won three consecutive games, to Colombia (3-1 as visitor and 1-0) and Venezuela (3-0 in Buenos Aires) but lost to Peru 1-0 in Lima, in a match where midfielder Claudio Reyna marked Maradona with excessive roughness although he was not sent off by the referee.[33][34]

Argentina played the last match of the qualifiers against Perú in Buenos Aires. The visitor team won by 2-1 qualifying to Mexico but in the last minutes of the match Ricardo Gareca scored the 2-2 that allowed Argentina to be one of the four South American representatives at Mexico.[35]

Although he led the team to a new qualification for a World Cup, Bilardo was hardly criticized by the media which focused on the low level of the team during the process. Some journalists also accused Bilardo to play defensively, leaving behind the historic Argentine landmark of short passes and dribblings according to their point of view. Clarín, the most popular newspaper of Argentina, was one of the hardest opponents of the coach, and Bilardo himself declared that Clarín called Association President Julio Grondona to ask him to fire the coach.[36]

Before the Cup Argentina toured Europe losing to France (one of the favorites to win the Cup) and Norway and largely defeating Israel by 7-2.[37]

1986: Return to the glory

The team that debuted v. South Korea at the Estadio Olimpico Universitario in Mexico City.

Argentina entered the 1986 World Cup with hope because of one player, Diego Maradona. Argentina was placed in Group A alongside Italy, Bulgaria, and South Korea. In the first game, Argentina was able to beat South Korea 3–1. The second match was against Italy, a tougher opponent. Italy took the lead in the 6th minute but Diego Maradona responded with a goal in the 34th minute. The game later ended with a 1–1 draw. The last group game was against Bulgaria, which resulted in a 2–0 Argentina win; therefore Argentina passed to the next round being the first in the group.

My daughter Daniela could not be called by her last name. The word "Bilardo" was banned. I could not walk on the street, I could not get out of my house. After the World Cup, everything changed

“
”

Carlos Bilardo on the previous days to the 1986 World Cup [36]

Argentina entered the Round of 16 against South American rival Uruguay in Puebla. The hot-tempered game ended in a 1–0 win for Argentina. Next, Argentina moved on to the quarter-finals, playing England at the huge Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The game started very evenly, with both teams getting chances to score but none were able to finish. The first half ended with Argentina having the majority of possession but unable to get past a tough defense. Six minutes following the second half Diego Maradona scored a controversial goal in which he used his hand; once the match finished, Maradona called it "La mano de Dios" (the hand of God) explicitly admitting the infringement. The goal began with a defensive error from Steve Hodge, who passed the ball incorrectly back to the goalkeeper, Peter Shilton. At that time Maradona was still continuing his run and reached the ball first and netted it in with his left fist. After the goal, Maradona encouraged his teammates to embrace the goal so the referee would allow it. Four minutes after the "hand of God" goal, Diego Maradona scored a goal which people called "The Goal of the Century" because of the individual effort of Maradona, who starting his run from the half-way line, passed four English midfielders (he beat midfielder Terry Butcher twice) and dribbled around the goalkeeper Shilton finally scoring the goal that allowed Argentina to win the match, 2–1. That victory was very celebrated due to not only the rivalry between both teams but Argentina had lost the Guerra de Malvinas at the hands of the British Army four years before.[38]

Diego Maradona raising the FIFA World Cup trophy at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

In semi-finals, Argentina defeated Belgium 2–0 at the Azteca to advance to the final against West Germany. Argentina won a game played at the Azteca in which the squad won its second World Cup title. José Luis Brown opened the scoring for Argentina, then the team increased the lead with a goal by Jorge Valdano. Germany started a comeback with goals from Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Rudi Völler, which evened the game at 2–2. Jorge Burruchaga scored the winning goal in the 83rd minute, giving Argentina a 3–2 victory over Germany.

Argentina remained unbeaten in the World Cup, winning 5 over 6 matches disputed. Diego Maradona played at a superlative level,[39][40] as he had done in the 1979 Youth Championship leading Argentina to the title. Maradona was the national team top-scorer with 5 goals, apart from winning the Gold Boot as the best player of the tournament.[41]

Other important players for the team were defenders José Luis Brown and Oscar Ruggeri, midfielders Héctor Enrique and Jorge Burruchaga and forward Jorge Valdano. The line-up in the final was: Nery Pumpido, Brown, José Luis Cuciuffo, Ruggeri, Julio Olarticoechea; Ricardo Giusti, Sergio Batista, Enrique, Burruchaga; Maradona, Valdano.

1987-90

After winning the World Cup, the players went on vacation and Argentina did not play a match until 1987, when a new edition of Copa América was contested. The tournament changed its format returning to a unique host, being Argentina the chosen. Argentine formed a team with a mix of players from Europa and local leagues. The squad debuted with an 1-1 draw against Perú, then beating Ecuador by 3-0. But in the second stage, Argentina lost to Uruguay (which would be the champion) by 1-0 at Buenos Aires and was eliminated. At the end of 1987 Argentina played West Germany (the rival of the 1986 final) winning 1-0 in Estadio José Amalfitani. In 1988 the squad played the Four Nations Cup, losing to Soviet Union (4-2) and West Germany (1-0).

Argentina immediately went to Australia to play the Australia Bicentennial Gold Cup, where the team did not give a good performance, with one win against Saudi Arabia and a large defeat by the local team who beat them 4-1.

Back to Argentina, the team started its preparation for the 1989 Copa América played at Brazil. Argentina qualified to the second round after beating Chile and Uruguay (both 1-0) and two draws with Ecuador and Bolivia (both 0-0). In the second stage Argentina lost to Brazil and Uruguay (both 2-0) and only drew with Paraguay 0-0. Argentina was eliminated without winning a game and with no goals scored on this round. Some players of the team were Pumpido, Brown, Ruggeri, Clausen, Cuciuffo, Burruchaga, Maradona, Enrique, Giusti (all of them World champions in 1986), Claudio Caniggia, Abel Balbo, Luis Islas, Roberto Sensini, Gabriel Calderón, Néstor Gorosito and Pedro Troglio.

1990: Finalist again

Argentina went to the 1990 FIFA World Cup with no qualifiers needed as being the last champion. Previous to World Cup the national team played some several matches with no good results: Argentina lost to Mexico (0-2) and Scotland (0-2), winning just one of the five games played (to Israel, chosen again to be the last rival before the tournament as it had been four years before). In addition, Jorge Valdano (one of the most important players during the '86 World Cup) trained hard in order to be in good physical condition for the Cup but Bilardo decided not to include him in the definitive list of players. Due to that Valdano said his famous cite: "I swam through the ocean but I drowned at the shore".[42]

Argentina finally debuted at the inaugural match in Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in Milan, being defeated by Cameroon (which played its 2nd World Cup) by 1-0. This result caused a great surprise in Argentina[43] so the national team line-up was based on the 1986 World Champion.

The moment when Claudio Caniggia scores the gol v Brazil in Turin.

Argentina won its second match against the Soviet Union 2-0 (where titular goalkeeper Nery Pumpido seriously injured being replaced by Sergio Goycochea for the rest of the tournament), and drew 1-1 with Romania the last game of first round, both played at Naples, where Maradona played for the city's team in Italy's Serie A. The team qualified to the second round, where they faced Brazil at the Stadio delle Alpi in Turin. In a match where Brazil played much better than Argentina, with forwards Muller and Careca repeatedly shooting to the goal but missing the target (the ball clashed Argentina's posts a couple of times, while Goycoechea stopped other shots) Argentina (with Maradona in bad physical condition) resisted Brazilian offensive movements during the first half, which ended 0-0. In the second half, Brazil was not so persistent as it had been during the first 45 minutes, so Argentina took advantage of the situation. When 9 minutes left to the end of the game, Maradona took the ball in the centre of the field, dribbled 3 opponents and throwed a precise pass to winger Claudio Caniggia who advanced with the ball scoring a goal after dribbling goalkeeper Taffarel. Argentina won the match 1-0 eliminating its arch-rival in a World Cup for the first time. That match is still regarded by the media and fans as one of the most remarkable moments of an Argentine national team.[44][45]

For their quarter final match in Florence, Argentina barely eliminated Yugoslavia by an exciting penalty shootout,[46] with Goycoechea becoming a hero after stopping 3 penalty kicks, including the last two.[47] Maradona also missed a penalty kick, a rare occurrence; at one point Argentina were behind the Yugoslav's, but Goycoechea's outstanding goalkeeping kept Argentina in the tournament.

The squad that beat Italy in Napoli, qualifying for the final.

Argentina advanced to semi-finals, where had to play against Italy in Naples. The local host was considered favourite to win the match because their striker Salvatore Schillaci was the tournament's top scorer (He would be awarded both the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball at the end of the tournament) and Argentina had many injured players, Maradona being one of them. Nevertheless, Argentina made its best performance in the World Cup and the match ended 1-1 in the first 90 minutes. There were no goals at extra time therefore the game went to a penalty shootout. Goycoechea was the Argentine hero again stopping the shots from Serena and Donadoni and Argentina advanced to its second consecutive final in a World Cup.

Argentina played against West Germany which was coached by former player Franz Beckenbauer. Caniggia was suspended for 1 game after receiving a yellow card in the match against Italy so he could not play the final. Germany arrived to the final as a wide favorite to take the Cup, due to the facts that the squad had showed an effective and precise playing style, unlike Argentina which (with the exception of the game with Italy) had not had good previous performances. In addition, German footballers were in good condition while the Argentine players came to the final with several injuries, Maradona being one of them. The game proved to be violent, brutal and bad tempered- particularly thanks to the Argentine side.

Nevertheless, Germany only could score a goal at 83 minutes for a doubtful punishment by Mexican referee Edgardo Codesal, who awarded Germany a penalty kick for what he thought was a foul by Roberto Sensini against Rudi Völler. The call was controversial, and it was heavily debated by the Argentinian players. Andreas Brehme converted the penalty kick to give West Germany team its third World Cup title.[48][49]

The 1986 World champion side could not repeat the high performances made 4 years before, most notably Diego Maradona, who played all the tournament injured which heavily decreased his performance on the field. Other players such as Ruggeri, Burruchaga played in similar conditions due to the injuries.[50]

The most notable player for Argentina was Sergio Goycochea, who is still remembered by his outstanding performance at the penalty shootouts.[51]

Coming of Basile

Alfio Basile led the team that won Copa América in 1991 and 1993.

After the World Cup Bilardo resigned, considering that his era had finished. So did Diego Maradona, announcing that 1990 World Cup had been his last tournament playing for Argentina.[52]

Alfio Basile was announced as his replacement. The new coach started his tenure convinced that the new era would come up with youth players to the team, so he mostly called up footballers who were playing in the domestic league rather than footballers from international championships, at least for the first time.

Argentina debuted with Basile on the bench on February 1991, defeating Hungary 2–0 in Rosario, Santa Fe. The national team played some friendly matches and tournaments such as the Stanley Rous Cup where Argentina drew 2–2 with England at Wembley (after a partial score of 0-2 at the end of the first half). In March, Diego Maradona failed a drug test for cocaine in Italy, being suspended by 15 months.[53][54]

Gabriel Batistuta, all-time Argentina topscorer with 56 goals.

1991 was also the year when Argentina played its first official championship with Basile, the Copa América held in Chile. Argentina won its 13th. Cup after 32 years, with a great performance on the field. The team debuted with a wide 3-0 to Venezuela, then defeating Chile 1-0 finishing the first stage with a 4-1 over Paraguay.

On the final round, the Albiceleste achieved a great 3-2 over Brazil, then drew 0-0 with Chile and defeated Colombia 2-1 in the final game, winning the Cup due to points average. Argentina won the tournament unbeaten, winning 6 of 7 matches. Gabriel Batistuta was also the topscorer of the Cup with 6 goals. Apart from Batistuta, Sergio Goycochea, Leonardo Astrada, Claudio Caniggia, Diego Simeone (who wore the #10), Dario Franco, Leo Rodríguez were some of the most Argentine notable players.[52]

In 1992 Argentina won the friendly tournament Kirin Cup (defeating Japan and Wales). Then, in october, the team won the King Fahd Cup, where they easily defeated Ivory Coast 4-0 in the semi final and Saudi Arab 3-1 in the final game.

On February 24, 1993, Diego Maradona returned to the team when Argentina played the Artemio Franchi Trophy against Denmark in Mar del Plata. Argentina won 5-4 by penalty shoot-out after an 1-1 draw.[55]

That same year the national team also played the Copa América hosted by Ecuador, winning its second consecutive South American title. Diego Maradona had returned to active football after being suspended due to the incident with drugs but Basile did not call him for the Cup so Simeone wore the emblematic number "10" again.

Argentina only drew the matches against Mexico and Colombia (both 1-1) and defeated Bolivia 1-0 to pass to the next stage. Argentina first eliminated Brazil for 2nd. consecutive time, (6-5 by penalty shoot-out after an 1-1 draw), then Colombia by the same way (6-5 p.s.), arriving to the final game against Mexico, which the national team won 2-1 (Batistuta twice). Argentina achieved its 14th title winning only 2 matches within 90 minutes.[56] This is the last Copa América Argentina has won to date.[57]

Some of the players that took part in the squad were Goycochea, Ruggeri, Batistitua, Franco, Simeone, Fernando Redondo and Luis Islas.

A second "disaster" in 1993

Immediately after the Copa América, Argentina had to play the qualifiers for the 1994 World Cup which would be held in the United States. The team shared group with Colombia, Paraguay and Peru. Argentina won the first two as visitor to Perú (1-0 in Lima) and Paraguay (3-1 in Asunción) but lost to Colombia 2-1 in Barranquilla. In Buenos Aires, Argentina defeated Peru 2-1, drew with Paraguay 0-0 and suffered a catastrophic loss to Colombia by 5-0 on September 5, 1993 in the Estadio Monumental. It became the largest defeat to a national team since a 1-6 result in the 1958 World Cup. Colombia (with great players such as "El Pibe" Valderrama, Freddy Rincón, Faustino Asprilla and Leonel Alvarez) not only won the qualifiers unbeaten but sent Argentina to play against the representative of Oceania to get a place for the World Cup.[58]

The most important sports magazine of Argentina, El Gráfico, went into "mourning" with a completely black cover with the only legend: "Vergüenza" (Shame) that expressed the deception and humillation after the hard defeat.[59][60]

Argentina had to play two knockout games against Australia to get a place in the World Cup. Basile asked Maradona to return to the national squad so the team needed him to qualify to the Cup. Maradona agreed and he flew to Sydney with the rest of the team.[61] Argentina played the first game on 31 October 1993 which ended 1-1. The second match was in Buenos Aires, where the national team won 1-0 (Batistuta) qualifying for the World Cup. The objective was accomplished.[62]

Another hard time: USA '94

Argentina played some friendly matches as preparation for the World Cup. The team lost to Brazil 0-2 but beat Morocco 3-1 at Salta and smashed Israel 3-0 in Ramat Gan. Argentina debuted in the championship thrashing Greece 4-0 in Boston, with a hat-trick by Batistuta. Maradona also scored the 3rd goal for Argentina, which would be his last goal in a World Cup. The national team played its second match against Nigeria again in Boston, which defeated by 2-1 (2 goals by Caniggia). At the end of the match, Argentina became a favorite to win the tournament, due to the attacking playing style showed by the squad (playing with four forwards), the amount of goals scored and the good performances of some of its players such as Redondo, Caniggia, Batistuta, and even the aging Maradona who looked in great shape and scored a gem of a goal.

At the end of the game against Nigeria, Maradona was called for the drug test, which gave positive results for ephedrine, a banned substance. The impact and repercussion of the news were immediate, and Maradona was expelled from the tournament and suspended for 15 months by FIFA.[63]

With the team still hurt after losing its leader, Argentina was defeated by Bulgaria in the sweltering heat of Dallas for their last match of the first round. The team qualified to the knockout phase, where they were beaten by Romania 3-2 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena just outside Los Angeles. After the successes of 1986 and 1990, Argentina was eliminated in the second round. Although eliminated in the second round, in an ESPN interview with Quique Wolff, Maradona called the 1994 squad the greatest Argentina team of all time.

World Cup 2006

Argentina had been eliminated at the group stage at Korea/Japan 2002 FIFA World Cup, although they had been among the pre-tournament favorites. There was a high expectation of a better performance in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

Argentina qualified for the knockout stages with wins over Côte d'Ivoire (2–1) and Serbia and Montenegro (6–0), and a 0–0 draw with the Netherlands.

In the round of sixteen, Argentina defeated Mexico 2–1 in extra-time, the winning goal scored by Maxi Rodríguez; this goal went on to win an online poll organized by FIFA as the best goal of the World Cup.[64] In the quarter-final, they lost 4–2 in a penalty shootout against hosts Germany after a 1–1 draw. A brawl erupted between the Argentines and Germans after the game ended. Unused substitute Leandro Cufré was sent off for kicking Per Mertesacker, while Maxi Rodríguez hit Bastian Schweinsteiger from behind. Following an investigation of video evidence, FIFA doled out four-game and two-game suspensions for Cufre and Rodríguez, respectively. Germany's Torsten Frings was suspended for the semi-final match for punching Julio Cruz.

Shortly after the elimination, coach José Pekerman resigned from his position. The AFA appointed Alfio Basile, who had previously managed the national side during the 1994 FIFA World Cup, as his successor.

Copa América 2007

Argentina won all three games in the group stage, beating the United States, Colombia, and Paraguay. After convincing victories over Peru and Mexico in the quarter-final and semi-final, respectively, they were favorites to beat Brazil in the final, but were defeated 3–0.

World Cup 2010

Lionel Messi carries out the ball, followed by Lukas Podolski in the quarter-finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Prior to the World Cup, Diego Maradona was appointed head coach. Argentina was placed in Group B in the 2010 World Cup and won all their games in that group. Their first game was against Nigeria. Argentina netted a goal in the sixth minute but struggled to add another one throughout the game. The game ended with a 1–0 victory for Argentina. Their second game was against South Korea. This time Argentina was able to find the net more easily with a hat trick from Gonzalo Higuaín and an own goal from the opposing team. Argentina won the game 4–1. Argentina's last group game was against Greece in which they won 2–0.

Argentina then advanced to the round of 16 and played Mexico. The game started with controversy when Carlos Tevez headed a ball from Lionel Messi for a goal; replay clearly showed that Tevez was in an offside position. Eventually, Argentina beat Mexico 3–1 to advance to the quarter-finals. In a much-hyped game, Argentina was shocked after Germany thrashed them with a 4–0 win. Thomas Müller opened the scoring in the third minute, Miroslav Klose earned a brace, and Arne Friedrich netted a goal as well. Their 4–0 loss to Germany marked the end of Argentina in the World Cup.

Copa América 2011

Argentina line-up at a friendly match vs. Portugal in Geneva, February 2011.

The 2011 Copa América was the first major tournament for new coach Sergio Batista. Argentina started the tournament with a shocking 1–1 tie against underdogs Bolivia. In their second game, they played a goalless draw against Colombia in Santa Fe, but went on to win their third game 3–0 against underdogs Costa Rica. Argentina was to play Uruguay in the quarter-finals. After going down after five minutes to a Diego Pérez goal, Gonzalo Higuaín equalized in the 17th minute. The score remained unchanged and after extra time, Argentina lost 5–4 in a penalty shootout with a miss from Carlos Tevez. After the elimination, coach Sergio Batista was sacked, replaced by former Estudiantes de La Plata coach Alejandro Sabella.

World Cup 2014

Argentina qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and were drawn into Group F with Nigeria, Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Argentina had beaten all three of those teams, easily making it through to the next round. In the next round, they beat Switzerland 1-0 after a goalless 90 minutes. In the quarterfinals, they beat Belgium, also 1-0, via an early goal. They beat the Netherlands 2-4 from a penalty shootout in São Paulo but lost to eventual winners Germany in the final at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, concluding the World Cup as the runner-up squad.

Bibliography

References

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  3. ↑ "Historia de la Selección Argentina de Fútbol, Desde 1893 hasta 1981", STE Ediciones of Buenos Aires
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  5. ↑ Copa Newton 1906-1976 at RSSSF
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  13. ↑ "El desastre de Suecia 1958", Playfutbol.com, 15 June 2012
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  56. ↑ "Final Copa América 1993", GeoFutbol
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  59. ↑ El Gráfico #3857, 7 September 1993
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